Setting out for Ithaca

Welcome to this, my first entry of my new blog. Thank you for reading and I hope you will keep following me through the duration of my journey.  I will attempt to keep you updated with my progress towards London 2012 and offer a snapshot in the life of an aspiring Olympian; in as informative and entertaining way as possible.  One thing is certain though, the next 571 days are going to be some of the best and most exciting days of my life as the anticipation builds and the preparation climaxes ahead of the lighting of the Olympic Flame on 27th July 2012. 

So why have I titled this blog 'My Journey to Ithaca'?  The reference is of course Classical, and I myself studied Classics at Downing College, University of Cambridge, between October 2006 and June 2009.  But you do not need to be a Classicist to have heard the story of Odysseus, the eponymous hero of Homer's Odyssey.  A Greek warrior king, who having fought for 10 long years at the Trojan War, journeyed for a further 10 years to reach his wife and son and reclaim his rightful rule of the island, Ithaca.  Thus Ithaca is the destination point, the goal, the ultimate aim.  My Ithaca is the Olympic Games in London a year and a half from now.  The time in between, what remains of my journey.

Constantine Cavafy starts in his superb poem, 'Ithaca': "When you set out for Ithaka ask that your way be long, full of adventure, full of instruction".  My odyssey started at Brentwood School, aged just 8 when, encouraged by my mother, I picked up a sword for the first time.  The sword was a foil, and I did not think I was very good.  After a year I switched to sabre, only because the rest of my class did and since then I have not looked back.  I first competed for Great Britain at age group level when I was 11, heading to France for a competition and before long had found myself in the U17 and U20 GB squads as well as the England Youth set up.  By the time I left school I had become a multiple international medallist, won the U20 Commonwealth Games and competed in three U17 and U20 World Championships.  Little did I know at that point that a few years later I would have competed as part of the GB team at the World University Games in Bangkok, been a member of the Team GB support team for the Beijing Olympic Games and won double gold at the Commonwealth Games. 

A good friend of mine once told me "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars".  I am doing just that. This blog will chronicle what remains of my odyssey and the experiences that will no doubt give me a wealth of enjoyment, thrill and delight.  While all the time I am aware that despite all the hard work and effort I am putting in, I might not ultimately succeed.  But not for one minute do I wish I had taken a different path and missed out on one single step of the way, not for one minute...

   

 Have Ithaka always in your mind.
Your arrival there is what you are destined for.
But don't in the least hurry the journey.
Better it last for years,
so that when you reach the island you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.
Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She hasn't anything else to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn't deceived you.
So wise you have become, of such experience,
that already you'll have understood what these Ithakas mean.